Bleach Meets Magic!
by Nozomi Higurashi
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of the 5th Squad, learns of a secret community in the World of the Living. Come along with him and a few of his fellow Captains and some Lieutenants as the join the weird and wacky world of magic!
1. Prologue

It had been two years since the end of the winter war. Two years since Kurosaki Ichigo had defeated Aizen not by using Mugetsu, but by using his training in the Dangai Precipice to convert all his spiritual energy into physical strength and using it to literally take Aizen's head, his shield unable to withstand the young shinigami's full-power blow. Two years since Gin was critically injured from an attempted assassination on Aizen and the traitor Tosen preceded his master to the grave. Gin has fully recovered since and after a trial where it was revealed he had been working as a double-agent AGAINST Aizen for nearly a century in an attempt to find a weakness and bring him down, was given a full pardon and allowed to return to his Captain's duties.

Hisagi Shuuhei had been promoted to the level of Captain and chosen a new Lieutenant for the 9th squad, however Squad 5 had only an acting-Captain. Lieutenant Hinamori Momo, who's mental state had been iffy at best during the war, had made a complete turnaround once Ichigo had taken an interest in her plight. Turns out he was the best man for the job of pulling her out of her funk because he understood her pain - the feeling of loss was overpowering the feeling of betrayal. As Ichigo had put things, the Aizen she had known, the Captain she had loved, died the day he showed his true colors. Even if the person never truly existed, he existed in Momo's heart, and that's all that matters. The other Shinigami were shocked at how similar Kurosaki and Hinamori dealt with the loss of their most important people: Kurosaki was only able to pull himself out of his despair because he had younger sisters who needed him. Momo had no such person, so Kurosaki helped her out, opening up to her fully as a result. Momo now knew more about the substitute than even his own nakama, and gained strength from the deep show of trust. A leap of faith taken to save HER. She adamantly refused any captain nominations to her squad, saying she needed someone she knew she could trust. Which was why, now two years since Aizen's defeat, a recently-graduated Kurosaki Ichigo was saying his farewells to lead his new squad. His family and his nakama knew the 5th Squad needed him more than they did, and while sad to see him go, knew it was for the best.


	2. Chapter 1

"Ichigo-kun!" Hinamori Momo, Lieutenant of the 5th Squad of the Gotei 13, called to her captain Kurosaki Ichigo, who currently had his nose buried in a lengthy report a member of his low-ranking member of his squad had given him earlier that evening. Higurashi Sasuke had just finished his year-long tour of a lightly populated area of Scotland and stumbled upon something very interesting. Kurosaki-taicho was amazed that a group of people could stay hidden not only from human society, but the Seireitei for so long. Higurashi-kun had obviously found a secret community he had grown up hearing about in fairy tales and folklore: Magicians.

Momo huffed, getting annoyed by her taicho's obvious interest in the report he was reading and whacked him on the head with the paperwork she had brought him.

"Ow! Momo! What the-! What'd I do to deserve that?" Ichigo demanded, rubbing his abused cranium. Sure he wasn't one for formalities, preferring a casual, friendly working environment, but that hurt!

"I've been TRYING to get you attention for that last five minutes!" Momo replied, rolling her eyes. She was still amazed at how someone so powerful and mean-looking could actually be the kindest, friendliest person she had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Ichigo-kun was a born leader - people flocked to him because of his tender heart and fierce protective streak. No many people could both protect someone while work towards saving his opponent from the darkness surrounding them like her taicho could.

Ichigo flushed. "Sorry, this report is... interesting to say the least," he admitted. Momo raised an eyebrow.

"How could a report be interesting?" she inquired. Her taicho smirked.

"Well, I've just found out that there's an entire community that's been able to hide themselves from everyone - even us - for who knows how long. A community that harnesses mental energy, calling it 'magic'," Ichigo replied.

"Magic? Wait - magic harnesses a person's mental energy to be used?" Momo wondered. Ichigo was thinking along another tangent.

"Wonder if Grimm and Nel know anything about this..." he mused. Momo allowed herself an amused smile. Grimm and Nel were two friends Ichigo-kun had made during the thick of battle. It had came as a shock when two former Espada suddenly opened a Garganta straight to the 5th squad barracks to see Ichigo-kun. Everyone had been on edge, fearing for their captain as Ichigo-kun approached the green-haired and blue-haired Arrancar. However when the big-busted green-haired one plowed their taicho over with a flying hug screaming, "Itsygoooooo!" no one could keep themselves from at least snickering. And when the first Arrancar was dangerously close to smothering Ichigo-kun with her very well-endowed figure, the second one pulled her off so taicho could breathe again. Once he recovered, Ichigo-kun invited the two to his office to "catch up". Grimmjow and Neliel have become regular guests of Squad 5 ever since.

"When do they plan on visiting next?" Momo wondered.

"Tomorrow. I'll ask them then. Better get as much information as possible before presenting this stuff to Gramps," Ichigo said thoughtfully.

"Why?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Well, if some of us have the amount of mental energy to learn magic, it would be a good thing to learn. Can't be too prepared, ya know?" Ichigo replied, nonchalantly. Momo nodded, knowing his unspoken train of thought. If another captain ever went traitor, they'd need all the skills they can get to tip the scales in the favor of the good guys.

"I'll help."


	3. Chapter 2

"Magic?" Grimmjow echoed as he sat across the coffee table from the young Vizard.  
>"Yeah, apparently one of my men stumbled upon an actual school that teaches it out in Scotland," Ichigo replied, leaning forward slightly in hopes his Arrancar friend knew something.<br>"Meh, don't know anything 'bout that. Though there are a few places that seem to naturally repel Hollows, so..." the blue-haired Arrancar trailed off as Ichigo's eyes lit up in surprise.  
>"You mean magic can repel Hollows?" he asked, shocked.<br>"Not necessarily. Like I said, don't know anything 'bout this 'magic' you've discovered, but that that tidbit might be worth your while. Hey, got any more of that 'coffee' stuff?"  
>Ichigo sighed and shook his head good-naturedly as he went to make up a pot. He had been surprised to learn that Arrancar could survive on normal food - large quantities of normal food, but normal food nonetheless. Such a discovery happened when Nel, curious about the foods Ichigo ate, had gorged herself on Squad 5's entire stock of food and wound up not needing to eat for a week straight. The discovery made the cost of the lost food worth it, and the orange-haired captain actually took a week off to help Kisuke set up a cozy little cabin in the forest just outside Karakura for the two Arrancar so they could hunt and survive off the local wildlife. That more than anything got the rest of the Gotei 13 to relax around them, what with predatory instincts being soothed in a more... acceptable manner.<br>Ichigo knew any further discussion on magic would be useless at this point, and just spent the rest of Grimmjow's visit in Kisuke's training grounds beating the crap out of - ahem, sparring with - his rival.

-BMM-

Sorry it's so short, but my old computer crashed and my muse is being stingy. Hopefully this little blip with kick her into gear again.


End file.
